What Is An EMV Card Reader? 

An “EMV” card reader is one that supports tap, dip, swipe, and digital wallets! Currently, Arryved supports the tDynamo and the DynaFlex II Go EMV readers. Since these have more capabilities than old-school swipe-only readers, they require more power to operate, and you’ll want to be mindful of the battery life. Read this guide for best practices on managing the reader’s battery life for maximum use. 

Prerequisites

• EMV card readers are only available to merchants on Arryved Pay.  

Limitations

• If your EMV card reader battery level drops below 20%, it may have a hard time connecting to the POS device and transacting. 

Best Practices

Follow these best practices to ensure your EMV card readers have enough battery life during your hours of operation. 

Power Off And Charge Readers Nightly 

• Power off the readers and leave them charging every night so the batteries are always at 100% at the start of each day.

Keep It In The Charging Stand

• For POS devices that live on the bar or an order counter, keep the reader in its standalone dock, plugged in and charging at all times.

• Pro Tip! If one of your other card readers that are moving about freely on the service floor gets low, you can swap it for the fully charged one that was sitting in the charging dock. 

Plug It Into The POS 

• Find a short charging cord that is USB-C on both ends. Plug one end into the POS device and the other into the card reader. Keep it this way during service. 

• This trick will keep your reader charged without draining the POS battery. It will also strengthen and speed up your connection between the two devices. 

• You can do this to tablets sitting stationary or handheld devices moving around all day, just find a cord that’s the right length. 

Keep Charging Cables Handy

• Be sure to keep charging cables handy at the bar and server stations so staff can easily access them. 

• We recommend using a modern block piece to connect the USB cord for optimal charging. An older USB block may not charge sufficiently. 

Reduce Unnecessary Usage

• Reduce the number of order stations that would need to rotate readers.

• Power off readers when not in use or during slower periods. 

Charge In-Between AM/PM Shifts

• If the time permits, recharge your readers in between your AM and PM shifts. 

Purchase A Few Extra Readers

• You may want to purchase an extra reader or two to swap out during service, especially if many of your readers will be moving about freely all day.

Consider Adopting OpenTab

OpenTab is Arryved’s guest mobile-ordering solution. With OpenTab, guests can start a tab, place orders, and close out right from their smartphones via QR codes. Adopting OpenTab in your service model will help reduce the usage of card readers and help save you some battery life! Did we mention OpenTab is proven to boost tabs and tips? Check out our OpenTab resources below. 

• Arryved’s contactless ordering solution

• OpenTab Overview

• OpenTab Order Flow

Related Articles

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How To Transact With tDynamo

tDynamo Card Reader Troubleshooting

DynaFlex II Go Overview

DynaFlex II Go Setup Guide

DynaFlex II Go Troubleshooting 

How To Transact With DynaFlex II Go